The U.S. Department of Justice is seen on June 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C. At least 12 officials who worked with the special counsel Jack Smith to investigate President Trump have been fired from the department.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The acting attorney general moved on Monday to fire several Justice Department officials who worked on the federal criminal investigations into President Donald Trump, according to two department officials familiar with the matter.
In termination letters sent to more than a dozen officials, acting Attorney General James McHenry wrote that he did not believe they “could be trusted to faithfully implement the President’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president,” one of the officials said.
It was not immediately clear how many officials involved in the Trump investigations received termination notices. The news was first reported by Fox News.
The move comes the same day that Trump’s acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, issued a memo announcing a “special project” to review the department’s prosecutions of Jan. 6 Capitol rioters, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Martin instructed prosecutors to provide all information related to the use of a specific obstruction charge, including files, documents, emails, notes and other information. He also describes the use of the charge against rioters as a “great failure,” according to the person who described the memo to NPR.
Last summer, the Supreme Court ruled that the Justice Department went too far in applying the obstruction charge against Jan. 6 defendants. But several lower court judges had previously blessed the DOJ’s approach.
The moves are the latest in the administration’s aggressive approach to the Justice Department since Trump returned to the White House seven days ago.
Already, the department’s acting leadership has reversed policies on a host of issues, including charging decisions and immigration enforcement, and brought a halt to other work, including in the civil rights and environment divisions.
The shakeup also extends to department personnel: several senior career officials have been reassigned from their areas of expertise to, in many cases, an immigration task force.
Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives to give remarks on the investigation into then former President Donald Trump on Aug. 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Trump was angered by Smith’s investigations, which were ultimately dropped after Trump won the election.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
President Trump, has lashed out for years at the Justice Department, accusing it of unfairly targeting him and his supporters in what he claims were politically motivated investigations.
He was particularly angry about the two investigations brought by special counsel Jack Smith. One case revolved around Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and the other case stems from Trump’s keeping of classified documents after he left office. Both cases were dropped after Trump won the election.
Department officials, including former President Joe Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, have rejected the allegations of weaponizing the department. They point out that the department prosecuted prominent Democrats during Biden’s term, including the president’s son, Hunter, as well as two prominent Democratic members of Congress.
Still, Trump frequently talked on the campaign trail about seeking vengeance against his perceived enemies, including at the Justice Department.
His pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, and his choice for FBI director, Kash Patel, have both talked about investigating the investigators.
